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Monday, September 27, 2010

Books for the Road - The Great DIvorce

Being a member of a book discussion group has always moved me out of my usual reading zone. The library, and now our church discussion group, forces me into books I would never think of picking off a shelf--or now downloading to my e-reader. The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis is another one of them.

In The Great Divorce, Lewis uses fable and allegory to tell the story of someone who finds himself in Hell boarding a bus bound for Heaven. He proposes that anyone who wants to stay in Heaven , can. Of course the puzzle is that so many of those who visit Heaven by bus refuse to give up a variety of personal quirks, emotions, desires, etc. in order to stay there.

If you enjoy Lewis' penchant for making you look at symbolism and hidden meaning you will love exploring the pages of his dream-story. This particular book did not endear me any more to Lewis even though so many others are such fans of Narnia and his other stories. But if you're looking like for a challenge and like to think and ponder over fantasy, you will enjoy the read. If you are looking for escape and entertainment try a different book.

2 comments:

I've tried to be a CS Lewis fan, but just can't quite get there. Now I really LOVED the first Narnia movie (and did read the book) but that's it. The other 5 paperbacks are sitting on a shelf in my basement! :) Anyway, I appreciate you sharing your opinion and insight! I'm certain there are many Lewis fans out there. I'm much more satisfied with other authors. Blessings on you girl!